US OPEN

August 25, 2003

Chanda Rubin

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Chanda.

CHANDA RUBIN: No, I mean, it was just really a bad match for me. I had some chances obviously first and second set. Just didn't play with enough glue, didn't play with enough consistency, really didn't concentrate well enough.

CHANDA RUBIN: She hits a lot of balls, as you said, played pretty well that way. I wanted to be a little bit more consistent than I was today. Needed to be more aggressive. I really didn't come in much at all. I mean, overall it was just a poor match, considering what I know I need to go out and do to win.

CHANDA RUBIN: Just, you know, I really wasn't as ready to play this morning, obviously. I thought going out there that, you know, I would play a little better, start off with the first game, into her service game, the first couple points. From then on, it just was, you know, a lot of hit and missing. I didn't have enough glue.

CHANDA RUBIN: No, I mean, you definitely don't like to have an injury going into a Slam where you haven't been able to play any tournaments. I wouldn't have said that was a factor, based on the way that I played. I could have played a much better match, regardless of how many matches I had, and regardless of the injury.

CHANDA RUBIN: It's been a while. I can't remember playing quite this bad. Being the US Open center court, it's worse than playing this bad somewhere else, another smaller event. But this was definitely one of the worst.

CHANDA RUBIN: Absolutely, yeah. You know, this is a clear case, I mean, a match like today you just can't afford in a tournament like this. You're going to have some players, you know, that are going to take advantage of the opportunities. There's going to be one player still standing at the end. That's going to be the player that, you know, takes advantage of the opportunities and steps up, so to speak. I'm not sure who that will be. You have a number of players who have come in on form like Justine and also, you know, Jennifer and Kim. You know, Lindsay's been playing pretty well, as well, despite a few injuries. You never can tell. I mean, we'll see at the end.

CHANDA RUBIN: It's worth a Grand Slam title. It's a pretty big opportunity.

CHANDA RUBIN: With the holes?

CHANDA RUBIN: I mean, I haven't looked at the draw fully. I mean, it's the same answer. You know, it's a big opportunity depending on where you are in the draw, you know, how confident you feel going into the matches.

CHANDA RUBIN: No. I mean, just, you know, didn't -- just didn't have it. Just didn't have it today (smiling).

CHANDA RUBIN: The same explanation. You know, throughout the match, I never really got, you know, a really good run of games or a good run of points, or even if she was winning points, they were well-played points. There were a few times where I had a few points like that, where I'd come up and, you know, get back on top on serve. You know, I just let it slip a little bit again. I think the last game was definitely a rushed game. You know, it's just tough as the match goes on, when you just keep sputtering a little bit, it's hard to get the confidence back during that particular match. I think at the end, that was the culprit.

CHANDA RUBIN: Overall I wasn't overly nervous at all. I mean, I just felt like I didn't really have a good rhythm, I wasn't really in a good groove. You know, then you maybe press a little bit more. I think I did that during the match.

CHANDA RUBIN: I mean, I just hit a half hour earlier. Before I went on the court, it was tough to get a match groove going. When it's time to start moving the ball and really playing well-thought-out points is kind of where you want to settle down into a groove. That is where, you know, I didn't have the consistency. You know, just weaving points, setting up shots.

CHANDA RUBIN: It was. It was a little bit blustery. Wind off and on sometimes where it picked up more than on some occasions.

CHANDA RUBIN: You know, it's really a disappointing loss. I mean it definitely will linger for a little while. The tournament is two weeks long. This is the first day. It's kind of a bitter pill to be out, you know, basically first match. You know, I've had a few disappointing results this year. I've had a decent year, but there have been some opportunities where, you know, I just didn't capitalize quite as much on them. This is definitely one of those times where, you know, I've let an opportunity slip by to really propel myself into the top, top of the game, not just Top 10. That's what I'm going to have to go home and sit with.

CHANDA RUBIN: Just my game, yeah (smiling).

CHANDA RUBIN: Yeah, I mean, physically, you know, everything had felt pretty good. Didn't have any aches or pains or anything like that. You know, it was just a question of building up, hitting, playing after being off for, you know, a week and a half. Apart from that, I felt good physically.